If you read my outfit post on Wednesday, you may remember I mentioned wanting to write about the process behind style photos. Well, guess what: I actually did, and this is that post.

Here, I’m going to tell you about everything that happens between ‘deciding to shoot an outfit’ and ‘getting enough pictures on my camera to call it a day.’ I’ll try to account for people who shoot with tripods and remotes, but obviously, what works for me may not work for you.

This post focuses on the non-technical aspects of photographing outfits, but in case you’re wondering, I shoot with a Canon EOS 450D I bought in 2008. Yep. My 50mm f/1.8 lens is a bit newer. All my photos are taken in manual mode and in RAW.

Today on Photodoto.com, I’m sharing a starter kit/basic guide to shooting in manual mode, largely inspired by bloggers who are afraid to dive in… much like I was. Click on the image or the link below it to go to the article and see the infographic I designed — or read the transcription, because it does of course come with one. I care a lot about accessibility.

This is the first article I’ve written for the site since the previous editor left, and it marks the beginning of me writing about photography tips and tricks again. Before Marc left, I published three meta essays about photographers and the creative industry; I’m still quite proud of those, and will repost here eventually, but for now, you’re welcome to read them here:

That’s it! My previous Photodoto articles (from February) are linked in the manual mode post, as they’re guides to ISO and white balance. Next on I’ll be telling you the things any photographer should keep handy, a good three or four of which I still don’t have. But I need them, you see? Also, this weekend I’m working on my business, and there’s nothing anyone can do to stop me.

When people talk about digital camera settings, there are three main ones that pop up: shutter speed, aperture and ISO. They all relate to light and the way your camera captures it: shutter speed controls the length of time your camera lets in the light, aperture determines the size of the opening in your lens that light travels through and ISO adjusts the sensitivity of the image sensor.

Knowing how to manipulate these options opens up a well of possibilities for a photographer, and today I’m going to break down the basics of ISO for you.

As an amateur photographer, you can go a long, long time without knowing what white balance is or why knowing how to adjust it even matters. I had my first DSLR (my current DSLR, a Canon EOS 450D) for five years before white balance entered my photography glossary, and it took another few months until it felt necessary — or at least convenient — to learn the ins and out of it.

The thing is, if you have a halfway decent camera, it comes equipped with an automatic white balance (AWB) setting, and that generally does the trick unless your lighting is particularly intense. Even then, you may think the weird off-balance colors add to the mood of the picture. Hey, sometimes they do! It’s not something that jumps to the eye as ‘wrong’ the way exposure, depth of field and grain do when they don’t come out right.

But there are certain types of photography where knowing how to get your colors right and accurate is crucial, and once you know it, you can bet it will come in handy on a regular basis.